Supermarkets in Vancouver

Vancouver is a city full of foodies and wanna-be chefs, so it’s only appropriate that there are a lot of places to do some serious food shopping here. Below is a quick run-down on some of the more popular (note: this doesn’t necessarily mean better, just convenient) Vancouver supermarkets. A lot of the big-name Vancouver grocery stores have extra services like a florist, pharmacy, or coffee shop, but if you’re looking for just the basics, there are stores for that too.

There are a lot of smaller Vancouver grocery stores that offer great value, so be sure to explore your neighbourhood and support your local businesses. Young Brothers Produce at 3151 West Broadway has some of the best-priced local produce in the city.

Our guide to Vancouver supermarkets

Granville Island Public Market

One of the more lively places to shop for food, where you can get some of the freshest produce, seafood, meats and cheeses in the city. It’s such good quality that many of the city’s top chefs frequent the market. Try to get your grocery shopping done during the weekdays as the market gets swarmed by tourists on the weekends. Parking is at a premium so it’s best to come by foot or by bike. If you are coming from the Yaletown side of town, for novelty, you can get to the market by water taxi. Or you can hop on the free street car from the Canada Line Olympic Village station.

Open from 9am to 7pm everyday. Find out more about the area on the Granville Island Public Market website.

Safeway

Large grocery store chain with several locations throughout Vancouver (so you’ll probably never be too far from one). It has all the typical departments (meats & deli, bakery, seafood, fruits & veg, household items, etc) but also offers a pharmacy and even an in-store Starbucks, in case you get tired from shopping and need a coffee break. Be sure to get a Safeway Club card, otherwise items can be a bit on the pricey side.

• Don’t want to carry your groceries home? Find out how you can car share in Vancouver.

Save-On-Foods

Similar to Safeway in that it offers the same departments but fewer locations (and alas, no Starbucks). You’ll definitely want to get a Save-On-Foods More Rewards card because items can be expensive here.

Note: personally we found that on the whole, items bought at Safeway, when purchased with a Safeway Club Card, were cheaper than those in Save-On-Foods (even when using their More Rewards card). However, unlike the Safeway Club Card, you can use the accumulated points from your Save-On-Foods More Rewards card towards travel and electronics.

Marketplace IGA

Similar to Save-on-Foods and Safeway, but it doesn’t have a pharmacy. However, it does in our view have the best deli section out of all the big-name Vancouver grocery stores listed here.

Its Vancouver supermarkets are Downtown, in Kitsilano, Richmond, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and in Coquitlam.

Nesters Market

A BC-based chain, but with few locations, Nesters Market is a great place to pick up pre-made items like sandwiches and salads. Overall, their items are priced better than a lot of Downtown Vancouver grocery stores. Their produce section, however, is a bit lacking.

H-Mart

One of the largest grocery store chains in Korea town with one of the best Asian food courts in town — and therefore quite popular with our local ESL (English as a Second Language) folks — it has a great quality meats and produce. A great place to stock up on Asian ingredients at affordable prices.

It’s located in the heart of Downtown, on the corner of Robson and Seymour. Take the escalator from the street level to get to H-Mart. You can easily miss it as it’s located on the second floor.

T&T Supermarket

Another of the Vancouver supermarkets stocking Asian food. Catering to the Chinese community, it has an extensive produce section carrying Chinese produce, live seafood, a full Chinese bakery, and an Asian take-out section.

No Frills

You won’t get a fancy shopping experience here. One of the basic Vancouver grocery stores for those looking to get the best value for their dollar. It offers No Name products (a cheaper store-brand).

Whole Foods

Known for its vast selection of organic and health foods, they have a large organic and regular produce section (but beware, you’ll pay for it!). They also have a bakery section to die for and lots of fresh, high-quality food items to go. One of the good Vancouver supermarkets to get your environmentally-friendly household and toiletry items. Note: not all their products are organic, despite what some people think.

Choices

Similar to Whole Foods, but much smaller in scale. The place to go if you have dietary restrictions, as they have a bakery specifically catering to those looking for gluten-free goods.

Urban Fare

The place to go if you’re looking for specialty items, but can get quite costly if you’re purchasing day-to-day items. It offers a large local and imported gourmet cheese, meats and deli section, along with artisan breads. Its Vancouver supermarkets are in Yaletown, Coal Harbour, False Creek, and on Alberni Street.

It’s also a great place to go on your work lunch hour if you’re looking for a high-quality hot lunch. Bring your Save-on-Foods More Rewards card (Save-On-Foods and Urban Fare are owned by the same company) to save on your purchases.

Costco

You’ll need a Costco membership (which costs money) but it pays itself off very quickly. It’s a massive warehouse that houses a lot of the key day-to-day items. The savings come by buying in bulk, and insiders know to go here for their very high quality meats and produce, and toiletries. It’s also a good place to go if you’re looking to buy a new flat-screen TV. Beware, you’ll be buying in large quantities so make sure you have ample freezer and fridge space, but it’s worth it if you’re buying for more than a couple of people.

Real Canadian Superstore (often simply called ‘Superstore’)

Similar to Costco, it’s a major supermarket where the savings come to the consumer by buying in bulk. Unless you’re fine with lugging 40 rolls of toilet paper under your arm back home, however, you should probably take a car with you.

Its Vancouver supermarkets are in North Vancouver (Seymour Blvd), Grandview Highway, Metropolis at Metrotown, and SE Marine Drive.

Walmart

A major superstore where you can tick various tasks off your to-do list. It’s another of the massive Vancouver supermarkets, where you can buy garden tools, household electrical items, kitchenware, clothing, and of course, groceries. And that’s all while you get keys cut and your photos developed on-site.

Which Vancouver grocery stores do you like?

Your feedback can help us improve this page, so please share your favourite Vancouver grocery stores with us. Email [email protected] and we’ll add a sample of our readers’ feedback.

To learn more about Vancouver, read these articles:

• What’s it like living in Vancouver?
• Where to live in Vancouver neighbourhoods guide
• Things to do in Vancouver